Last month, China loaned Xing Hui and Hao Hao to Belgium for a wildlife park near Brussels.

Xi greeted the two pandas with Eric Domb, CEO of Pairi Daiza Zoo, Belgium's King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, China's President Xi Jinping's wife Peng Liyuan during an official ceremony in Brugelette 30 March 2014.

Xi will also become the first leader to visit the EU's headquarters since Brussels established ties with Beijing four decades ago.

China is the EU's most important trading partner behind the US as trade between the two has doubled since 2003 to more than €1bn (£827m, $1.4bn) a day.

However, the EU has resisted pressure to boost relations with a free trade deal after a series of damaging trade rows which have led to threats of millions of euros worth of new duties.